Central Province Minister Ediriweera Weerawardene hit out at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family for attempting to grab what they lost by any means.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, he said that the Rajapaksas lost power because of attempting to keep everything under the control of one family.

He insisted that they were now conspiring to destroy the SLFP and expressed his surprise at the lenient manner in which the party leadership is acting towards them. The conspirators should be removed from the party for it to move forward, he added.

Speakig at the press conference, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake also criticized the SLFP members who were trying to divide the party after being elected to office through the vote of the party supporters.

They received what they have because of the party and it is wrong to forget this, Ekanayake added.

(Kamal Suraweera)